Michael Probert

Short answer: after most cooks, run the grill hot for 10–15 minutes to burn off residue, then brush or scrape the grates — that’s the two-minute routine. Every 3–5 cooks, empty the grease tray, and once or twice a season do a deep clean: pull the grates to soak, scrape the interior, clean the burners, […]

Short answer: smoke a bone-in pork butt at a steady 225–250°F, plan on roughly 1.5 to 2 hours per pound at 225°F (so an 8 lb butt runs about 12 to 16 hours), and pull it off when the thickest part reaches about 203°F and a probe slides in like butter. Wrap it once it […]

A vertical smoker stacks its food above the heat in a tall, space-efficient cabinet or bullet shape — so you get a lot of cooking area in a small footprint. The two most popular fuels are charcoal (bullet smokers like the Weber Smokey Mountain, and vertical charcoal cabinets) and propane (gas cabinets that light with […]

An offset smoker — also called a “stick burner” or horizontal offset — burns wood or charcoal in a separate side firebox and draws that heat and smoke sideways through the main chamber before it exits a chimney. It’s the most hands-on way to cook barbecue, and for a lot of people that ritual is […]

Short answer: at a steady 225°F, plan on roughly 1 to 1.5 hours per pound of trimmed brisket — so a typical 12–14 lb packer runs about 12 to 18 hours, plus a rest of at least an hour. But weight is only a rough guide. Brisket is done by temperature and feel, not the […]

The best smokers for beginners in 2026 — 12 forgiving electric, pellet, charcoal and propane smokers ranked for ease of use, with honest pros, cons, price bands and a plain guide to which fuel type is easiest to learn on.

The best wireless meat thermometers for 2026 — 12 leave-in probes, hubs and instant-reads ranked for accuracy, range and value, with a safe-temperature guide and honest pros and cons.

The best electric smokers for 2026 — 11 plug-in cabinet smokers ranked for beginners, value, capacity and durability, with honest pros and cons, a safety guide, and the Char-Broil recall you need to know about.

The best wood pellets for smoking in 2026 — 13 hardwood pellets ranked by flavor, honesty and value, plus the “100% hardwood” labeling trick to watch for and a wood-to-meat pairing guide.

Our research-led pick of the best pellet grill and smoker combos for 2026 — 9 grill-smokers across every budget and use case, with honest pros, cons, price bands and the specs that actually matter.